Emergency crews snuff garage fire

Wednesday

Feb 20, 2013 at 7:30 AMFeb 20, 2013 at 8:16 AM

A fire ignited in a Talent garage Tuesday evening after a battery charger on a workbench short-circuited, but crews were able to knock it down quickly, preventing its spread to the rest of the structure.

A fire ignited in a Talent garage Tuesday evening after a battery charger on a workbench short-circuited, but crews were able to knock it down quickly, preventing its spread to the rest of the structure.

Jackson County Fire District No. 5 responded to the fire at 6:19 p.m., reported in the 500 block of Hummingbird Lane. Fire officials said the homeowner smelled smoke and followed it to his garage. A fire on his workbench was putting off thick clouds that filled the space. The homeowner called 911 and poured some water on the blaze.

Two engines arrived on scene and opened up the garage to ventilate the smoke before extinguishing the fire the rest of the way. It did not spread to the rest of the garage or home.

"It was (knocked down) within a minute or so," said Capt. Tony Halley. "It was basically just on a work bench. Beyond that, the only other damage was smoke damage."

No one was hurt. The workbench contained numerous plastic pieces and parts the homeowner used to build remote control airplanes. Much of it melted, but a damage assessment was not available.

"Those types of chargers overheat at times and can be faulty," Halley said of the fire's cause. "It's just a matter of keeping an eye on it."